The New Modern Age (2558-2750)
'2558' *Having spent the spring mobilising his forces - as well as absorbing new followers from Ceres' tribe into his own - Thor finally deems his army ready to attack Neocron. Mecando's energy weapon, which was mass-produced following his death, shot a sickeningly green bundle of energy which the old man had called "plasma". *With the balance of power now well and truly tipped out of his favour, Crahn realises he and his forces are no match for his adversary. As soon as he reaches this conclusion, he immediately escapes the city, taking his most trusted bodyguards with him and leaving both his forces and the city's subjugated denizens to their fate. *Although annoyed that the man who had forced him out of his homeland had escaped, Thor is met with jubilation from both his own forces and from the people over whom Crahn had ruled until his arrival. *Having escaped, Crahn decides to try and solidify what little power he has by erecting a new fortification atop some ancient ruins; a place for him and those he chose to exist in some semblance of safety. 'Sometime Between 2559 & 2564' * Crahn dies. To honour and revere their fallen leader, his bodyguards form the Brotherhood of Crahn. Over the following decades, the glorified cult becomes far larger than any of its founders will ever realise. '2565' *Having ruled over Neocron for seven years, Thor finally tires of the life which had brought him to this point. Having been both a warrior and a leader for the whole of his adult life, he decides to finally turn his power over to a successor. *Regant, Thor's son, quickly sets his own plans in motion. Although he sees Neocron as the greatest bastion of humanity in the Wasteland, he realises that the city can stand to develop far beyond its current state. He wants to transform the city into the largest, most powerful and most modern dwelling of the post-war world. *To accomplish this, he enlists the help of the man who had granted him his education. Caalron, himself the protége of Mecando, had been charged with granting Regant the knowledge he would need in order to live his life. *With Caalron's help, he envisions a plan to cover Neocron in a magnetic shield. Unlike a dome made of solid material - such as the one Ceres decides to use in the Dome of York - Regant's concept allows the limitless expansion of the city beneath. '2570' *A disease begins to permeate the population of Neocron. Even after erecting the magnetic shield, Regant is confused as to why the ailment - caused by radiation - is still affecting his people. *In an effort to save his people and improve the shield, Regant contacts his father's rival: Ceres. Now sixty-five years old, he is still the sole possessor of the Ceres Holodisks and, in order to supplement his existing knowledge, Regant asks for the old man to give him a copy of the Holodisks. To Regant's bewilderment, Ceres refuses. '2575' *The disease has now killed thousands of Neocron's inhabitants. Both the city's medical professionals and the Psi Monks - who are able to use their immense power to heal wounds - are helpless and confused by the symptoms' apparent resilience. *Once again, Regant turns to Ceres for help. Ceres, on the other hand, proclaims that the plague is a form of divine vengeance; the God of the Blinding Light punishing Neocron for the blood shed during its creation. Rather than waste time trying to reason with him, Regant sets plans in motion to prepare his troops for war. '2576' *Now at a complete impasse, Regant orders the Psi Monks to turn the research in genetic engineering they had amassed from fighting the disease towards a more militaristic application; breeding a super-soldier. *To further augment the GenTanks' superior prowess, he orders his scientists to develop the successor to the mechanised tanks used in 22nd Century warfare. Not limited by tracked wheels, the tanks instead hover above the ground with state-of-the-art propulsion systems. *Fuelled by the same notions, Ceres instructs his own researchers to develop new weapons of warfare. Taking a different approach, he develops an unmanned walking vehicle; capable of carrying colossal weapons which otherwise would have been employed as fixed bombardment pieces. *In addition to the Warbots, Ceres begins work on recreating the pinnacle of mass-destruction weaponry: the nuclear bomb. '2577' *Regant issues an ultimatum to Ceres; the last chance he is willing to grant the man. Either he willingly allows the knowledge on the Holodisks to be accessed by everyone by the end of the year... or Regant will do it for him. '2578' *Ceres declares that the Holodisks are solely his property; a response that throws Neocron and the Dome of York into all-out war. Initially, Regant's strategy involves a brute-force approach; aiming the entirety of his forces at Ceres' front gate and waiting until they eventually break through. '2578-2585' *What was planned as a short-lived shock-and-awe military strike quickly descends into the longest military conflict in the post-war era. With both sides having vast amounts of resources, they are able to constantly reinforce their troops and recoup their losses. *However, Ceres unleashes the ace hidden up his sleeve to devastating effect. By detonating a nuclear weapon above the battlefield, he annihilates the vast majority of Regant's biological forces while leaving his mechanical Warbots - which had been built with electromagnetic shielding - completely unharmed. *But, with the Psi Monks on his side, Regant is unfazed by the threat his adversary issues next. Rather than worry about the possibility that a second nuclear weapon would be launched at Neocron within a week, his researchers quickly set about replicating the shielding technology and mounting it in suits of powered armour; armour which only the GenTanks are capable of wearing. *Protected from just about everything Ceres can throw at them, Regant's forces are able to invade the Dome of York and subject Ceres - now eighty-five years of age - to a public execution as his government is overthrown and dissolved. The Holodisks - and their insight - is gradually revealed to the public while one of Regant's lieutenants is installed as the Dome's new leader, tasked with supervising the reconstruction efforts. '2857-2610' *While Regant's forces are able to return home easily enough following the war, it quickly becomes apparent that the conflict has had a lasting effect on the Wasteland. With travel between the two cities now almost impossible without suffering permanent damage or even death, the two cities become isolated. *As Neocron grows, it is split into four distinct districts; Via Rosso, The Plaza, Pepper Park and The Outzone. These borders persist until the present day, with each of the areas changing very little in their purpose. *With armed reprisal now rendered suicidal, Neocron arrives at a time of peace in which it can grow in other areas. During this period, the Psi Monks - whose research had brought Regant victory - assume control of the military. *Development on the GenTank project stops. Almost inspired by their enemy, the Psi Monks realise that a superior fighting unit stemming from an organic base cannot be the optimal solution. Rather than destroy the GenTanks that survived the war, Regant and the government allow them to live and leave them to their own devices. Although ineligible for inclusion into the regular police force, the GenTanks (and their descendants) carve out a place in society by taking jobs in the security and personal protection industries. *Although he had led his people to victory over Ceres, Regant had himself been suffering from the radiation disease. Over time, he slowly loses influence over the people and, seizing their own opportunities, the Psi Monks become something of a secret power in the city. *Reviving the Neocron Security Department - an intelligence/espionage division founded under Crahn's rule - the Psi Monks gain control over the city's law enforcement and, by abducting and torturing political opponents in internment camps, they steadily increase their power. '2611' *Regant dies and, shortly after the public announcement of his successor, the man slated to replace him is found dead within the following week. In response, the Psi Monks immediately take control of the city. Although they introduce rigorous laws, the lack of tribal influence in Neocron's leadership allows for far more progress under their rule. '2618' *After a little under five hundred years, mankind finally succeeds in utilising technology to re-establish contact with orbiting satellites. Despite expectations of technological degradation due to the colossal timespan, the scientists are amazed to find that more than half of them are still in working order. *By using the capabilities of the satellites, they discover the existence of another continent. Created during the nuclear firestorm from the remains of eastern Asia, the landmass is home to another large city but, because the continent is on the other side of the world, conventional travel is impossible due to the airborne radiation. *By learning of the Red Terra colony on Mars thanks to the Ceres Holodisks, the Psi Monks get the inspiration to solve their problem. By creating an aircraft capable of going into orbit, they plan to bypass the radiation entirely, limiting the exposure of the crew. As a byproduct of the research, they simultaneously plan to create a craft capable of travelling to Mars. '2630' *The project takes twelve years, but the Psi Monks finally succeeds in constructing an orbit-capable aircraft. Using it, a small crew embark on a mission to the Asian metropolis; a city they learn is called Tokyo II. *To their surprise, they discover that Tokyo II boasts a modern level of development comparable to that of Neocron, even shielding themselves from the radiation by way of a similar type of magnetic shield. With a magnetic shield shrouding both cities, they have effectively cut themselves off from radio contact with one another. Until the Psi Monks used the satellites and made efforts to arrive, neither Neocron nor Tokyo II were aware of their counterparts' existence. *The people living there seem uninterested by the Psi Monks' efforts to contact them and, after just a few days, members of Tokyo II's military escort them back to their craft and insist they leave. Without knowing just how the Asian denizens acquired their technological knowledge, the envoys return home and, in response, the Psi Monks decide to leave Tokyo II to its own devices and concentrate on their space program. '2633' *A group of sixty-two Neocron scientists, led by Thomas Cooper, leave the city in response to the shared belief that they are being oppressed by their rulers; used more as tools due to their expertise than allowed to exist as people. Erecting a small base in the Wasteland, they shield themselves from the radiation and settle down there. These people and their descendants become known as the Fallen Angels. '2636' *A spacecraft capable of making the journey to Mars is finally completed. The Shirkan, named after the chief of the Psi Monks' ruling council, is launched that same year with the trip estimated to take nine months. '2637' *Upon their arrival, the astronauts discover the desolate remains of Red Terra; the abandoned pre-war colony. A search of the mission logs reveals that the inhabitants were wiped out by an unknown virus in 2212. *The logs also show in great detail the despair the inhabitants went through upon learning of the Earth's self-destruction during World War Three. Also evident is how they were completely oblivious to the fact that they could have easily prevented the whole conflict. *Contrary to the beliefs of the Chinese Empire, the Starcruiser was not destroyed by the Federation out of jealousy. Instead, the Starcruiser was hit by meteor debris and suffered damage to both their sensors and long-range communications equipment. *Unable to send a message to Beijing, the Chinese astronauts take the only available option open to them: contacting the Federation scientists on Red Terra and requesting that they send the message in their stead. Having not been informed of the Starcruiser's existence, the people on Red Terra dismiss the distress call as a hoax and, without realising, allows the people of Earth to descend into all-out nuclear war. *The astronauts also learn of the development of Gabanium; the pre-war terraforming chemical used in an attempt to make the atmosphere of Mars breathable. While the Gabanium was capable of working, its interaction with Mars accelerated the growth of the virus, leading to the cessation of the experiment. *In addition to finding the martian metal - the reason why Red Terra was constructed in the first place - the astronauts also find a repeating signal. Sent by the crew of the Starcruiser from Irata-3, the signal consisted of a report that the Gabanium had terraformed the planet as planned and that, for generations, they had been awaiting further instructions. *In response to the news, the government on Neocron focuses their efforts on creating a spacecraft capable of interstellar travel. '2654' *The Avenger is officially unveiled, after almost two decades of construction. Taking on the form of a "generation ship", the interstellar craft is capable of housing two thousand people in stasis while the craft automatically makes the ninety-year journey to Irata-3. The ship also carries the materials and equipment necessary to build a permanent communications outpost. '2660' *The Psi Monks start to make use of the Red Terra colony. In addition to the mining efforts, they begin work on a commmunications facility on the planet. '2684' *A powerful explosion in the Wasteland sparks rumours among Neocron's population of secret laboratories conducting tests on new weapons. The facilities are said to be run by the Psi Monk government to protect their rule against rebellion. '2722' *The crime rate in Neocron reaches its peak as unrest steadily escalates. The consensus among the citizens is that the Psi Monks have become incompetent due to their complacency. A former member of the Neocron Secret Service by the name of Lioon Reza founds a group of revolutionaries and sets his sights on eventually overthrowing them. '2724' *Although his initial attempts of storming the government building in the Plaza end in failure, Reza's perseverance pays off and manages to overthrow the Psi Monk regime after two years. Although he bans the Psi Monk politicians from the city outright, the Psi Monks who weren't a part of the government are allowed to remain, albeit with restrictions imposed upon them. *Attempting to grasp power for himself, Hagen Yager, the resistance faction's co-founder betrays a weakened Lioon Reza. Despite the period of infighting, Reza manages to rout his former ally's forces and banish them from the city. In disgrace, Yager flees into the Wasteland, now branded a terrorist. '2725' *To distance himself from the Twilight Guardian, Lioon Reza declares himself the President of Neocron and creates the City Administration; a combined government and city council which controls every administrative aspect of the city, from law enforcement all the way down to sanitation. *The CopBots are introduced. Given both law enforcement and judiciary power, they - and their more heavily-armed counterparts called "STORM Bots" - become the be-all and end-all of the Neocron legal system, which is drastically simplified in order to maintain peace. '2727' *Following a brief rebellion in The Outzone, Reza keeps the NCPD within the city's inner districts to avoid stretching his forces too thinly. In response, the legal system is once again altered; this time to make execution the only punishment for a criminal act. *Although the possession of weapons is legal, carrying them in an unconcealed manner in the city's inner districts is still against the law, though it is one of the few crimes to which the NCPD issue a caution for a perpetrator to desist. Monitoring systems are installed across the city, allowing the City Administration to watch over and protect the city. '2740' *The Avenger arrives on Irata-3. Red Terra, with its communications array, establishes contact with the crew of the Avenger. As well as its forest and ocean-covered landscape, the crew discover the city of Typherra; a settlement of stone and wood created by the Chinese following their own arrival. '2742' *Word of Irata-3 quickly spreads in Neocron. While the citizens see it as a paradise untouched by nuclear war, Lioon Reza sees it as a new territory ripe for subjugation. Promising his people a prosperous life if they join him, many citizens - disheartened by radioactive water, malformed children and the like - take him up on the offer. '2743' *The following year, however, communication with Irata-3 suddenly ceases. The people manning the facility on Red Terra quickly rule out malfunction. Although the Great Trek proceeds as planned, Reza himself decides not to participate. '2743' *The Great Trek begins. A total of 320,000 people spread across a fleet of forty ships built to similar specifications as both the Avenger and Starcruiser embark on the journey. Six months later, another twenty ships are launched and, for a while afterward, smaller ships also set out on the journey. '2747-2749' *The colossal void left by a sizeable proportion of Neocron's population no longer being present opens up a wealth of opportunities for the criminal elements to make a living. With many of the people on the Great Trek forced to leave their belongings behind, the government puts measures in place to take this vacant property for themselves. *Seeing the benefits of disrupting these "reappropriation" efforts, criminals - both in gangs or acting alone - make an effort to disrupt as many of them as possible. During these raids, one criminal rises to prominence. By forging alliances with others, Trevor Denton quickly accumulates a large share of the abandoned property and uses it to get rich. *Over the course of eighteen months, Denton becomes the most wanted man in Neocron; on both sides of the law. By betraying all of his allies and staying one step ahead of the NCPD, he is able to enjoy a short career of infamy before one of his pursuers finally manages to catch up to him. *With Trevor Denton dead, Reza and the NCPD stop anyone from inheriting his immense wealth by having all of his children arrested and detained. Most of them are executed and the ones who aren't are used in scientific experiments. *By the end of the arrests, executions and experiments, only two of Denton's children survive long enough to be "pardoned". Xavier Denton's injuries leave him permanently disfigured while Ezekiel Denton suffers from retrograde amnesia. '2750' *With contact between Red Terra and Irata-3 still not re-established and his presidency now entering its twenty-fourth year, Reza loses interest in the Great Trek. With the length of the journey meaning that the fleet of ships won't arrive until several decades after his death, he decides to return his attention to more practical matters; such as his duties as President. *''Earth's Final Dusk'' begins.